This is an analysis of the poem When You Are Not Surprised that begins with:
When you are not surprised, not surprised,
nor leap in imagination from sunlight into shadow ...
Elements of the verse: questions and answers
The information we provided is prepared by means of a special computer program. Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay.
- Rhyme scheme: aXbbcadXefcccgagabbAhhiiibbXX AhXdbbbbcXAijfjbbbaaafe
- Stanza lengths (in strings): 29,23,
- Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
- Сlosest rhyme: limerick
- Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
- Guessed form: unknown form
- Metre: 111101101 110010100110011 10110011 1001001101 000100101 11111001 1010110011 010100011 10010011 100101101 101101011001 11 1111 0111001010 1100010001 110 010101 1011010101 1010101 111101 111111 01110101 010011101 11111101 11111101 1111110111 1100111001 110010101 111111 111101 111111 100100101 10100011 101101 1010101 1001 10101010101 10110010110100 1101101011 111101 11111010 01110100101 0100101100001 1101 100000100101 10111001011 101011101 1111010001001 10010000101 1101101101010 11010010110 0110100101
- Amount of stanzas: 2
- Average number of symbols per stanza: 949
- Average number of words per stanza: 175
- Amount of lines: 53
- Average number of symbols per line: 35 (medium-length strings)
- Average number of words per line: 7
Mood of the speaker:
The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.
The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, peace, of, breath, o, blest, death are repeated.
The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words the, and, death are repeated.
The author used the same word when at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.
There is a poetic device epiphora at the end of some neighboring lines breath, again are repeated).
The literary device anadiplosis is detected in two or more neighboring lines. The word/phrase death connects the lines.
If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:
- summary of When You Are Not Surprised;
- central theme;
- idea of the verse;
- history of its creation;
- critical appreciation.
Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!
Pay attention: the program cannot take into account all the numerous nuances of poetic technique while analyzing. We make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability and suitability with respect to the information.
More information about poems by Conrad Potter Aiken
- Analysis of Melody In A Restaurant
- Analysis of The House Of Dust: Part 02: 07: Two Lovers: Overtones
- Analysis of The House Of Dust: Part 03: 11: Conversation: Undertones
